The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-29
GORDON AT CINCINNATI.
He MAKES HIS FIRST SPEECH IN
THE CAMPAIGN.

The Claim of the South to Loyalty to
the Union Eloquently Vindicated -
Denial of the Truth of the Political
Cry About the Oppression of the
Negroes.
CINCINNATI, Oct 2s--Jolm b. Gordon,
Governor of Georgia, made his first speech
in Ohio tonight in the Democratic State
campaign 1t was at the Highland House
Esplanade to an immense audience. In vim
dication of the claim of the Confederate
To loyalty, he said:
In the great city of Augusta, on an occasion
when we met to do honor to our dead comrades
about their graves. to cover them with fragrant
flowers, said this, pointing TO the banner Of
my country, which hung overhead. Here
hangs above us the flag of this Union Let us
honor 1t as an emblem OF freedom, of equality
and of unity remembering that there is not u
star on its blue field which is not made brighter
by the light reflected from the Southern skies,
not white line in It's folds but is made
whittier and purer by the South S
incorruptible record in office, not one of its
crimson stripes that Is not deeper and richer
from Southern blood shed in its defense in
every war with foreign powers. ] am not here
to talk new doctrines. ! want To say to you
again that before the guns had ceased their
terrific roar at ApDomattOX, | began TINS style
of talk, and in the South, In the Senate, in
Boston, in Charleston, across the Atlantic,
everywhere, | have been appealing for peace
and unity, and concord, as the surest legacy for
our children to inherit. Applause.
NEGROES NOT OPPRESSED.
Let me mention another charge that has been
used with some erect. presume IN this state,
sought TO be fixed upon the Northern mind TO
win votes against the South. Let us see how
much there is in it. The charge is that we op-
mendous things to say about that. win you
hear me? [Cres of Yes These people were
in slavery, How they got there ii is not neces,
sary for me to say tonight. History will
tell you about that. We found it IN our midst.
IL came to us an institution. We love those
negroes. Do you believe that? Let me give
you the facts about it. We love them, and whyy
They were part of our household. The negro
boys on my fathers plantation were the play
mates of my youth. The only fights that can
recall that | had in my youth were bat
ties for insults, as | conceived them TO
be, to my colored playmateS around
me- GApplause on my own place to-day out
in the country there is not one white soul, not
one. My furniture, my lands. my all, is in the
hands to-day, and has been ever since | have
been Governor and While was IN the Senate, IN
the hands of colored people. Who are they?
My old servitors. Among them is old 'Mauma, "
pardon the expression, as we call her, now near
seventy years ago the mother of my wife, later
my wife herself, later still every one of my
children, and later still my grandcnil-
dren-four generations-the memories of
old form. Why, sir, if you could have
seen the grieving of the wife Of my bosom to
that decrepit old black woman when she was
called to the bedside OF that old black woman a
few weeks ago, whore old mauma was lying i'll
| the strongest man among you would
have been moved to tears. They have
in their possession, those black people, all !
have in the world and / feel as absolutely secure
at this moment as though l were down there
watching their every act. How comes that's
Did we oppress them when they were slaves! IL
was a law is inexorable as the law of the Medes
and Perslans that the man who treated
his slaves unkindly was debarred
from decent society. Applause. Is that so ?
Well, let us come TO the proof. We went to
war some years ago, and some of you will re-
member something about it. We had q fight.
Everybody knew if the South was defeated these
slaves would be made free men and free women
and they knew it. They wanted to be
free. Oh, yes; there is no doubt about that.
They longed for their freedom. Were they
oppressedy If they had been wouldn't they
have struck for their freedom when they coudy
The North enlisted, and was justified in doing
it. a few regiments of blacks to fight against MS
in the old South. If we had proclaimed their
freedom at the beginning of that war we could
have enlisted every one of them to man in
our defense. Applausei